Chapter 8. The Cutest in the World

Song Xifeng was mainly speaking to Gu Zhaochen. However, the little boy remained silent except for staying closely beside the little monk. Now, he seemed to accept any outcome without concern, like an elderly man tormented by a serious illness, devoid of hope or complaints, his eyes lacking any glimmer of light, lifeless and dull.

Once they entered the police station and sat down, Luo Qingshu requested a first aid kit. Chen Yun noticed he was going to treat the wounds of the two children and came over to help.

Seeing that Chen Yun wanted to apply medicine to the little monk, Luo Qingshu shook his head and took over. Despite the little one not crying or making a fuss, tears rarely fell from her eyes; she was actually very intolerant of pain.

The little one, afraid of pain and prone to tears, usually held back her tears, which only swirled in his eyes as he tried hard to be strong.

Her palms had scrapes with sand and straw stuck in them, which needed to be removed, and they were bleeding.

Luo Qingshu furrowed his brow slightly and quickly cleaned and applied medicine, putting on waterproof bandages. The entire process took no more than two minutes. He noticed the little monk's tears trembling in his big eyes, wanting to shiver from the pain but holding back without pulling his hands away. He quietly asked, "Does it hurt?"

Mingjing struggled to hold back her tears, almost hiccuping, "No... it doesn't hurt. The book says, 'When heaven entrusts a great responsibility to a person, it must first torment their mind and spirit, and labor their muscles and bones...' I remember all the knowledge Master has taught me."

"To endure hardship and cultivate perseverance, to enhance what one cannot."

This was the principle Luo Qingshu taught the little monk, having trained her this way since she was young. But ultimately, it was because he was worried that one day he wouldn’t be there to take care of her, so she needed to learn to be independent and strong early on...

She had grown very well, even more outstanding and adorable than he had expected. As she grew older, she would shine even brighter.

Luo Qingshu had always been a strict master, but as the day of parting drew closer, his heart softened.

He leaned down and kissed the little monk on the tip of her nose, then pressed his forehead against hers, softly asking, "Do you want to go home and rest now?" The case of the little boy was quite clear, with not much doubt. It could be explained in just a few sentences. He brought the little one here simply because he felt he should make Gu Zhiming and Lin Shuixiang pay for hurting the little one, but he could do that later as well.

The tip of her nose felt ticklish. They were very close together, and today, the usually aloof and serious master not only hugged her but even kissed her!

Mingjing was overjoyed, her head spinning as she stood there foolishly smiling. It turned out that a kiss could really ease the pain!

Sometimes, she would see this on television, where human children would fall and cry sadly. Their parents would kiss and hug them, lifting them high, and then the children would quickly start to smile. She found it fascinating. When she accidentally fell down a slope and hurt her hand, she had kissed her own hand, only to find it didn’t help at all, and she immediately cried from the pain.

It turned out that it needed to be someone else's kiss! How magical!

She really liked, liked the human world, and she really liked her master!

The little monk was so happy that she was all smiles, a stark contrast to Gu Zhaochen, who remained quiet and reserved beside her. However, the little boy's gaze was still focused on his little friend.

Chen Yun, who was applying medicine to Gu Zhaochen, couldn't help but smile, "This little friend is really adorable. Even when in pain, he doesn’t cry. When he smiles, he looks like a little fairy..." [1] Chen Yun was speaking the truth; she had seen many children grow up, but it was rare to see one as delicate and beautiful as him, and he was incredibly smart and sensible. The events that had just occurred in the Gu family's courtyard were so perilous; if the little monk hadn't arrived first, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Naturally, his little disciple was the cutest in the world. Luo Qingshu nodded, a hint of warmth appearing on his usually cold face, making him look exceptionally handsome and benevolent. Chen Yun couldn't help but feel her cheeks flush; his looks were simply too striking. Honestly, when this master and disciple entered the police station, it felt like the light had brightened significantly.

It was truly a moment of brilliance.

Chen Yun coughed lightly, focusing on applying medicine to the little boy. As she worked, she was surprised and exclaimed, "Gu Zhaochen has grown quite well too! His features..." They were indeed nice, well-proportioned and delicate. His small nose was straight, with a prominent bridge, and he had good bone structure. However, his complexion was too poor, and he had many injuries. His long hair covered his eyes and forehead, making it hard to notice without a closer look.

She could swear with her soul that this child would be remarkable when he grew up.

Mingjing was still too young to understand beauty and ugliness, but she liked hearing compliments. Even if they weren't directed at her, she still felt happy. "Aunt Chen, Gu Zhaochen's voice sounds really nice, even better than the children in the choir."

Gu Zhaochen kept watching the little monk, feeling nervous as he saw the little monk in pain. He hoped that all the injuries would transfer to himself because he wasn't afraid of pain. Now that he saw the tears welling up in the little monk's eyes dissipate, and he returned to happiness, he quietly sighed in relief.

It truly was nice, like the clear, melodious sound of a mountain spring.

Chen Yun had initially wanted to tease the little boy into singing a song, but seeing the injuries on his face, she decided against it. She instructed, "With injuries on your face, try not to talk for the next couple of days. Stick to porridge and soft foods to avoid reopening the wounds."

Gu Zhaochen nodded in acknowledgment, but just then, a commotion erupted outside.

"Where is that little bastard? Call him out!"

"If I don't beat this bastard to death, I won't be a Gu anymore!"

It was Gu Zhiming and Lin Shuixiang, both dressed in hospital gowns, with Lin Shuixiang still hooked up to an IV. Lao Xu was behind them, urging them to slow down, his voice filled with helplessness.

Song Xifeng frowned at the noise coming from the entrance.

Chen Yun immediately shielded Gu Zhaochen behind her and asked Lao Xu, "What’s going on? What are they trying to do?"

Going to the hospital was more exhausting than a capture operation. Officer Lao Xu Xu shrugged helplessly. When Gu Zhiming and Lin Shuixiang woke up, they started clamoring to charge Gu Zhaochen with a death sentence, insisting that he pay with his life. They even had Gu Feihuang pretend to be gravely ill in the hospital to demand compensation. The neighbors had initially covered the medical expenses, but after Gu Zhiming and Lin Shuixiang woke up, they refused to pay back, leading to a loud argument in the hospital room.

The ruckus continued, causing chaos in the hospital in the middle of the night, until Gu Zhiming's older brother, Gu Zhicheng, rushed from Haihe City overnight to pay back all the money, which finally calmed things down.

When Gu Zhiming entered and saw Gu Zhaochen, he immediately charged toward him to hit him. Lao Xu stepped in to block him, saying, "What are you doing? This is the police station! Behave yourself!"

Seeing the big monk [2] present reminded Lin Shuixiang of the 12,000 yuan incident, making her a bit anxious. However, she quickly thought that the little monk was just a four or five-year-old child who understood nothing. Moreover, the card had been returned by the little bastard, and she could firmly claim that the card was found. What could the big monk do about it? Once something was consumed, it couldn't be regurgitated.

"You little bastard, come here!"

Gu Zhiming still wanted to cause trouble, but four officers surrounded him, saying nothing and making no moves, just holding their batons. Gu Zhiming, knowing he was facing someone stronger, temporarily swallowed his anger and turned to Song Xifeng, saying, "Officer, look, this little brat almost killed my entire family! He must be heavily punished! My son is still lying in the hospital, unconscious! We need an explanation today!"

As he spoke, he waved his hand that was still attached to the IV. Song Xifeng, not blind, could see the large letters spelling "glucose" on it, and the medical report from the hospital clearly stated that it was a minor injury with no life-threatening danger.

Proceeding with official business, Song Xifeng asked, "I want to know, did you abuse Gu Zhaochen before this?"

Lin Shuixiang immediately pounded the table and cried out, "What family doesn’t discipline their children? We’ve raised him to eight years old, and while we may not have any accomplishments, we’ve certainly put in the effort. Just a few words of discipline, and he goes and commits the heinous act of poisoning my entire family! This little beast is worse than a pig or a dog; his heart is darker than coal! Right now, I have a headache, my stomach hurts, my hands and knees are scraped, and I feel terrible all over!"

Gu Zhiming chimed in, "If my son is disobedient and steals, I, as his father, have the right to discipline him! What’s wrong with that?"

Gu Zhaochen clenched his fists at his sides. It didn’t matter what they called him; he was not a thief. He had not stolen anything, and he absolutely hated being falsely accused of stealing.

Mingjing tugged at the hem of Gu Zhaochen's clothing and shook her head at him.

Gu Zhaochen's rising chest gradually calmed down.

Regardless of the situation, the injuries on the child were evident; as long as he wasn’t blind, they were visible. Even after cleaning, the bruises wouldn’t turn white.

Song Xifeng directly prepared a document, stamped it, and pushed it in front of Gu Zhimin. "We now have reasonable suspicion that you and your wife are involved in abuse. You are under detention."

During the New Year period, things were special, and urgent matters were handled with urgency. As long as there were no issues, many procedures could be skipped, making the process extremely efficient. This was one of the reasons Song Xifeng chose to stay on duty during the New Year.

If he hadn’t become a police officer, Song Xifeng truly wouldn’t have known that there were indeed parents who were completely deranged. In a large forest, there are all kinds of birds, and he had seen enough in his lifetime. Since they found the hospital unsatisfactory and decided to cause a scene here, they could try the detention center instead. "The detention center doesn’t cost anything and provides meals; you two will probably like it. Just stay there quietly."

Gu Zhiming's lower face was covered in stubble, and when he got angry, he looked like a black bear. "You say we abused Gu Zhaochen! Do you have any evidence?"

Lin Shuixiang also chimed in, "Yeah, don’t wrong good people! That little beast attempted murder! If you don’t arrest him, then come after us! Is there no justice left in the world?!"

The term "little beast" was too harsh, and Mingjing couldn’t help but step forward, standing in front of Gu Zhaochen and correcting her in a soft voice, "Benefactor Lin, it’s attempted murder..."

After saying that, Mingjing looked at Song Xifeng and clarified everything she knew, "Officer, it was Gu Zhaochen who helped prepare the soap water, and he also helped me move the gas canister outside. He has a lighter in his pocket and hasn’t taken it out. I don’t know if Gu Zhaochen truly regrets it, but his actions were indeed aimed at stopping the crime or saving us from it."

Mingjing took out the video files she had prepared earlier and handed them to Song Xifeng. "My master and I have been in Qingshui Town for four months. During these four months, the three benefactors of the Gu family frequently beat Gu Zhaochen. This is video evidence.” The books say that cases involving family members are complex, and the factors involved make it hard to judge. A strong chain of evidence is required, so she hoped the video would be useful…

The little monk’s voice was still very childish, but her words were logical, capturing the key points of the case. Everyone in the room froze in place, even Gu Zhiming and Lin Shuixiang.

1. The Gu family’s three members were unharmed, and the charge was attempted murder.
2. The suspect showed an intention to stop the crime.
3. The case had its own special inside story.

Song Xifeng glanced at the handsome monk, who had no common name, no ID, and was known as Luochen. He took the phone and looked at it; a whole series of video files had been edited in chronological order. In them, Gu Zhiming and Lin Shuixiang clearly did not treat the child as a person, subjecting him to various forms of abuse, including insults, punches, kicks, bamboo sticks, willow branches, water ladles, brooms, belts—an array of tools for beating. There wasn't a day when the child wasn't injured.

Hearing others describe it was never as shocking as seeing it firsthand. All the officers were furious, and Song Xifeng's face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot. He clenched his fists, barely restraining himself from punching Gu Zhiming, this beast, to death. He truly was a beast.

Chen Yun looked at the battered child beside her and couldn't help but exclaim, "Are you even human?!"

The video was playing out loud, and Gu Zhiming and Lin Shuixiang heard it. Their faces changed instantly, and they instinctively lunged forward to grab the device, shouting, "That little bald monk and this beast are in cahoots! Don’t be fooled by them—ah!"

Gu Zhiming's words were cut short as he clutched and covered his mouth, spitting out blood mixed with two of his teeth. The black Buddhist beads rolled across the floor. Gu Zhiming looked in the direction of the beads and was about to curse when his eyes met a pair of cold, icy eyes. The chill that surged within him made him lose his words, even unconsciously taking a step back.

Song Xifeng was right in front of Gu Zhiming, seeing everything clearly. He couldn’t help but think to himself, "Holy crap! This is amazing! This monk is incredible! It's cool to beat up the scum!"

"Old Gu! Old Gu, are you okay? Why is there so much blood? Who did this to you?" Lin Shuixiang shouted.

"This is the police station! Is there no justice left? You murderous bastard—"

Lin Shuixiang met the big monk's calm gaze, along with the prayer beads resting under his palm on the table. Her curses were abruptly stifled, and she covered her mouth, stepping back two paces. Her waxy face twisted in fear; she wanted to curse but was too scared to do so, her expression turning yellow and purple from the effort.

Song Xifeng cleared his throat, "Everyone, stop making a scene! This is the police station! Gu Zhiming, Lin Shuixiang, keep your mouths clean and sit down!"

With people like this, saying another word was a waste of life.

Luo Qingshu gently patted the little monk's head and said softly, "Hand the voice recorder to your master." The grudge from when the little monk was hurt would be settled today as well.

Mingjing took it out from her small bag, looking a bit confused, "Master, please don't be angry."

Luo Qingshu found the audio segment of the transaction between Lin Shuixiang and the little monk, played it, and placed the recorder on the table.

Notes:

[1] Most characters in the story believes the little monk is a boy, so I'll use male pronouns when they refer to her.

[2] Big monk refers to Luo Qingshu.